Ice-pulverizing knife and ice-pulverizing device comprising an ice-pulverizing knife

ABSTRACT

The present specification relates to an ice-pulverizing knife for pulverizing ice from a ground surface, and to an ice-pulverizing device equipped therewith. The ice-pulverizing knife comprises a frame and a blade. The frame has a substantially circular base, and comprises a top, a base, at least one opening, a slot and a shoulder. The top has a socket adapted for mechanically coupling the frame with a vertical drive shaft, a rotation of the vertical drive shaft resulting in a circular rotation of the frame. The top has a first diameter. The base engages with the ground surface and has a second diameter greater than the first diameter. The at least one opening is positioned between the top and the base. The slot defines an aperture along the base. The shoulder is adjacent the slot and comprises a securing mechanism. The blade is adapted for insertion in the slot and affixing to the shoulder by means of the securing mechanism. When affixed to the shoulder, the blade projects towards the ground surface. Ice cut by the blade and accumulated inside the frame is expelled from the frame through the at least one opening.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of ground surface de-icing. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an ice-pulverizing knife for pulverizing ice from a ground surface, and to an ice-pulverizing device comprising an ice-pulverizing knife.

BACKGROUND

Keeping ground surfaces, particularly roads and airport runways free of ice, has long been a major problem in geographical regions where temperatures drop below freezing temperatures. Over the years, many methods and devices have been developed and constructed to clear such ground surfaces of ice.

Some methods of clearing ground surfaces of ice include scarifying the ice, which consists in cutting grooves into the ice to increase the surface area that is exposed to warming rays of the sun. Numerous devices with rake attachments or cutter blades are known for scarifying or raking ground surfaces. However, in many cases, such methods do not provide the desired result quickly enough since the ice is not completely removed, but merely scarred, and the sun has to perform the remaining of the work.

Another method consists in melting the ice through a chemical reaction. Chemical methods of de-icing ground surfaces include spraying a de-icing fluid or scattering de-icing crystals or solids over the ice-covered surface. One common disadvantage of these two methods is that, as the ice melts, the water flows toward low-lying areas, entraining the de-icing chemicals with it. This effectively removes the de-icing chemicals from high-lying areas. Therefore, to gain efficiency, the chemical method needs to be combined with the scarifying method, which grooves tend to retain the chemicals. A consequent drawback is that some chemicals, such as salt, do not perform properly when temperatures are too cold. Furthermore, when the ice melts and water runs on the side of the road or runway, the water transporting the chemicals is absorbed by the surrounding ground, which may be detrimental to the environment.

Still another method consists in using various types of devices having ice cutting and/or ice crushing capabilities for removing ice from the ground, without assistance from warming rays of the sun or from chemicals. However, such devices usually do not have the capability to treat surfaces covered by very hard ice. For instance, some devices cannot operate at all when the ice is too hard and/or too thick. Other devices are only capable of removing a partial layer of ice when the ice is too hard, thus leaving a remaining layer of ice on the ground. Such devices need to treat the same surface of ice several times, in order to completely remove a layer of ice covering that surface.

There is therefore a need for an ice-pulverizing knife and an ice-pulverizing device comprising an ice-pulverizing knife.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an ice-pulverizing knife for pulverizing ice from a ground surface. The knife comprises a frame and a blade. The frame comprises a top, a base, at least one opening, a slot and a shoulder. The top has a socket adapted for mechanically coupling the frame with a vertical drive shaft. The top has a first diameter. Rotation of the vertical drive shaft results in a circular rotation of the frame. The base engages with the ice on the ground surface and has a second diameter greater than the first diameter. The at least one opening is disposed between the top and the base. The slot defines an aperture starting at the base. The shoulder is adjacent the slot and comprises a securing mechanism. The blade is sized for insertion in the slot and adapted for affixing to the shoulder by means of the securing mechanism. When affixed to the shoulder, the blade projects towards the ground surface. Ice cut by the blade and accumulated inside the frame is expelled from the frame through the at least one opening.

According to a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an ice-pulverizing device for pulverizing ice from a ground surface. The ice-pulverizing device comprises at least one ice-pulverizing knife and a propulsion mechanism. The propulsion mechanism comprises the vertical shaft. The socket of the at lest one ice-pulverizing knife is mechanically coupled with the vertical drive shaft in such a manner that upon rotation of the vertical drive shaft, the at least one ice-pulverizing knife rotates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the appended drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an ice-pulverizing knife;

FIG. 2 is a top elevation view of the frame of the ice-pulverizing knife of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top elevation view of the ice-pulverizing knife of FIG. 1 with blades inserted in the slots of the frames;

FIG. 4 is bottom elevation view of the ice-pulverizing knife, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a ice-pulverizing device in accordance with a first aspect; and

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the ice-pulverizing device in accordance with a second aspect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing and other features will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like numerals represent like features on the various drawings.

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally address one or more of the problems related to ground surface de-icing.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 to 4 concurrently, which illustrate an ice-pulverizing knife 10 for pulverizing ice from a ground surface.

The ice-pulverizing knife 10 comprises a frame 20. The frame 20 comprises a substantially circular base 30. Although shown as being perfectly circular on the FIGS. 1 to 4, the present ice-pulverizing knife 10 could alternately have another type of symmetric shape, such as for example an hexagon, a heptagon, an octagon, etc. Although not absolutely essential, the base 30 should be shaped so as to reduce impacts exerted on the ice-pulverizing knife upon rotation thereof, to ensure stability and durability of the latter. In use, asymmetrical base shapes would result in a series of impacts, which would prematurely reduce the durability of the ice-pulverizing knife 10.

The base 30 engages with the ice on the ground surface. The present ice-pulverizing knife 10 may be used on any type of ground, such as for example concrete, asphalt, paving stones, dirt, rocks, etc. The present ice-pulverizing knife pulverizes ice may be used for removing ice for any of the following applications: street, a sidewalk, a landing runaway, a parking lot, etc.

The frame 20 may be built as a single molded component as shown on FIG. 1, or with several interconnected components (not shown). The frame 20 comprises a top 40 defining a socket 50. The socket 50 is adapted for mechanically coupling the frame 20 with a vertical drive shaft (not represented in the Figures). Rotation of the vertical drive shaft results in a circular rotation of the frame 20, and thus rotation of the ice-pulverizing knife 10.

The frame 20 further comprises at least one opening 60 between the top 40 and the base 30. The at least one opening 60 is positioned closer to the top 40 than to the base 30. The frame may include a plurality of openings 60 either positioned equidistantly, or positioned unevenly along the frame 20. Furthermore, the openings 60 may be positioned at a same distance from the top 40, or at different distances between the top 40 and the base. The opening(s) 60 may be shaped as a rectangle with rounded corners, or have any other shape, which allows efficient expelling of pulverized ice from the interior of the frame 20.

The frame 20 further comprises at least one slot 70 and an adjacent shoulder 80. The slot 70 defines an aperture along the base 30. The slot 70 defines an aperture, which starts at the base 30 and projects towards the top 40 of the frame 20. The length and width of the aperture corresponds to the size of the blade 90 to be inserted therein. The slot 70 may have an angle with respect to the base 30. For example, in a particular embodiment, the slot 70 defines an aperture having an angle between 30 and 75 degrees with respect to the base 30. The slot 70 may be evenly shaped as shown on the Figures, or could conversely be shaped differently. The shape of the slot 70 complements a side elevation of the blade 90.

The shoulder 80 is affixed to the frame 20, along the base 30 and adjacent to the slot 70. The shoulder 80 has a side adjacent to the slot 70, which has the same angle with respect to the base 30 as the slot 70. The shoulder 80 may further comprise an abutment (not shown) on its face opposite the slot 70 to offer greater rigidity. The shoulder further comprises a securing mechanism 85. The securing mechanism 85 may consist of one or several holes for receiving a complementary screw and bolt affixing together the blade 90 to the shoulder 80. Other securing mechanisms 85 could be used without departing from the scope of the present ice-pulverizing knife 10.

The blade 90 is sized for insertion within the slot 70, and affixing to the shoulder 80 by means of the securing mechanism 85. When affixed to the shoulder 80, the blade 90 projects towards the ground surface. A lower edge of the blade 90, adjacent the base 30, may be sharpened so as to increase the ice-pulverizing action of the ice-cutting knife 10. The blade 90, when affixed to the shoulder 80, projects away from the frame 20 and projects inside the frame 20. The portion of the blade 90 projecting inside the frame 20 pushes pulverized ice inside the frame 20 to be expelled through the opening(s) 60. Although the FIGS. 1 to 4 depict an ice-pulverizing knife 10 with eight slots 70, eight shoulders 80 and eight blades 90, the present ice-pulverizing knife 10 is not limited to such an implementation. The present ice-pulverizing knife 10 could have fewer groups of slots 70, shoulders 80 and blades 90. However, to stabilize the operation of the present ice-pulverizing knife 10, the groups of slots 70, shoulders 80 and blades 90 should be preferably equally distant, so as to provide fewer impacts. Positioning the blades 90 at a regular interval along the base of the frame 20 provides even resistance on the drive shaft (not shown), and thereby avoid misbalancing of the ice-pulverizing knife 10 or premature misalignment of the socket 50.

The length of the blades 90 radially extending from the frame 20 may vary, or be identical. Alternately, the blades 90 radially extending outside the frame 20 may be shorter or longer than the blades 90 radially extending within the frame 20. The blades 90 are positioned with respect to the base 30 of the frame 20 so as to provide engagement of each blade 90 with the ice on the ground surface for cutting the ice thereabout.

The blades 90 may be made of a metal or alloy, or of any material very resistant to abrasion such as for example steel, iron. The blades 90 may be sharp or dull, depending on the type of material used. When the ice-pulverizing knife 10 is to be used with a drive shaft turning in the clockwise direction (not shown), the slot 70, shoulder 80 and blade 90 are positioned at an angle between 105 and 150 degrees with respect to the base 30, while when the ice-pulverizing knife 10 is to be used with a drive shaft turning in the counterclockwise direction as shown on the Figures, the slot 70, the shoulder 80 and the blade 90 are positioned at an angle between 30 and 85 degrees with respect to the base 30.

Reference is now made concurrently to FIGS. 5 and 6, which are exemplary bottom views of different aspects of an ice-pulverizing device 100. The ice-pulverizing device 100 includes at least one ice-pulverizing knife 10. As shown on FIG. 5, the ice-pulverizing device 100 includes four ice-pulverizing knives 10 in linear alignment perpendicular to a direction 110 of movement of the ice-pulverizing device 100. FIG. 6 depicts five ice-pulverizing knives 10 positioned in two rows aligned perpendicular to the direction 110 of movement of the ice-pulverizing device 100. The ice-pulverizing device 100 may include any number of ice-pulverizing knives 10 in order to cover the area from which the ice needs to be pulverized. For example, the ice-pulverizing device 100 may include a number of ice-pulverizing knives 10 positioned so as to pulverize ice over a width corresponding to the width of the tractor or vehicle with which it is used. For example, in the case of sidewalk snow removal vehicles, the ice-pulverizing device 100 may include two or three ice-pulverizing knives 10 pulverizing ice over a width of the sidewalk snow removal vehicle. In another example, the ice-pulverizing device 100 may be added to a vehicle for removing snow and ice from streets, and may include 6-10 ice-pulverizing knives 10 positioned in one or two rows, and pulverizing ice over a width of the vehicle or a snow removal blade thereof.

The ice-pulverizing device 100 may be presented as an implement to be used with a tractor or a vehicle. In such a case, the ice-pulverizing device 100 is equipped with a power transmission coupler, such as for example a Power Take Off (PTO) coupler, acting as a propulsion mechanism for rotating the ice-pulverizing knives 10. Any type of power transmission coupler could be used, so as to transfer power generated by the tractor or vehicle to the ice-pulverizing device 100 to actuate rotation of the ice-pulverizing knives 10.

In another aspect, the ice-pulverizing device 100 may be provided as a vehicle, which includes the ice-pulverizing knives 10 and the propulsion mechanism. In that case, the propulsion mechanism is mechanically coupled to the drive shaft of the vehicle, and inserted in the socket 50 of the ice-pulverizing knives 10. The vehicle is further provided with an engine for displacing the vehicle and therewith the rotating ice-pulverizing knives 10 along the ground surface.

Although the present ice-pulverizing knife and device have been described in the foregoing description by way of illustrative embodiments thereof, these embodiments can be modified at will, within the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An ice-pulverizing knife for pulverizing ice from a ground surface, the ice-pulverizing knife comprising: a frame having a substantially circular base, the frame comprising: a top having a socket, the socket being adapted for mechanically coupling the frame with a vertical drive shaft, a rotation of the vertical drive shaft resulting in a circular rotation of the frame, the top having a first diameter; a base for engaging with the ground surface, the base having a second diameter greater than the first diameter; at least one opening between the top and the base; a slot defining an aperture along the base; a shoulder adjacent the slot, the shoulder comprising a securing mechanism; and a blade for insertion in the slot and affixing to the shoulder by means of the securing mechanism, the blade projecting towards the ground surface when affixed to the securing mechanism; wherein ice cut by the blade and accumulated inside the frame is expelled from the frame through the at least one opening.
 2. The ice-pulverizing knife of claim 1, wherein: the frame comprises a plurality of slots defining apertures along the base, the slots being equidistant along a circumference of the base; a plurality of shoulders, each shoulder being adjacent one of the slots, each shoulder comprising a securing mechanism; and a plurality of blades, each blade being sized for insertion in one of the slots and for being affixed to the adjacent shoulder by the securing mechanism.
 3. The ice-pulverizing knife of claim 1, wherein the blade extends inside a circumference of the base of the frame.
 4. The ice-pulverizing knife of claim 1, wherein the slot is oriented at an angle between 30 and 75 degrees with respect to the base.
 5. The ice-pulverizing knife of claim 1, wherein the opening is proximate to the top.
 6. The ice-pulverizing knife of claim 1, comprising four openings evenly distributed along the frame closer to the top.
 7. An ice-pulverizing device for pulverizing ice from a ground surface, the ice-pulverizing device comprising: at least one ice-pulverizing knife in accordance with claim 1; and a propulsion mechanism comprising the vertical drive shaft, the socket of the at least one ice-pulverizing knife being mechanically coupled with the vertical drive shaft, whereby upon rotation of the vertical drive shaft, the at least one ice-pulverizing knife rotates.
 8. The ice-pulverizing device of claim 7, wherein the at least one ice-pulverizing knife and the propulsion mechanism are part of an implement.
 9. The ice-pulverizing device of claim 7, wherein the at lest one ice-pulverizing knife and the propulsion mechanism are part of a vehicle.
 10. The ice-pulverizing device of claim 7, wherein the propulsion mechanism is a Power Take Off (PTO) Coupler.
 11. The ice-pulverizing device of claim 7, further comprising a vertical adjustment mechanism for lifting and lowering the at least one ice-pulverizing knife with respect to the ice on the ground surface.
 12. The ice-pulverizing device of claim 10, further comprising a propulsion mechanism for moving substantially horizontally the at least one ice-pulverizing knife on the ground surface while the at least one ice-pulverizing knife is rotating. 